CONWAY CHIEF GETS EMERGENCY AWARD

THE CHIEF OF THE CONWAY FIRE DEPARTMENT – WHO ALSO SERVES AS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR FOR CONWAY – IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR HIS SKILL IN EMERGENCY PLANNING AND RESPONSE.

STEVE SOLOMON WAS GIVEN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE EMERGENCY MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR 2013 IN LATE JUNE 2013 BY NEW HAMPSHIRE GOV. MAGGIE HASSAN AND PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS AT THE 9TH ANNUAL NEW HAMPSHIRE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CONFERENCE IN MANCHESTER.

THE AWARD COMES FROM THE NORTHEAST STATES EMERGENCY CONSORTIUM. SOLOMON’S CITATION READS IN PART “IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR EXCELLENCE, DEDICATION AND ACCOMPLISHMENT IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.”

CONWAY TOWN MANAGER EARL SIRES SAYS SOLOMON HAS DONE A GREAT JOB.

SOLOMON COORDINATED DANGEROUS NIGHTTIME BOAT RESCUES OF RESIDENTS OF TRANSVALE ACRES IN CONWAY WHO BECAME STRANDED BY RAGING SACO RIVER FLOODWATERS CAUSED BY TROPICAL STORM IRENE IN AUGUST OF 2011.

A FEW DAYS LATER HE ESCORTED THEN GOV. JOHN LYNCH ON A WALKING TOUR TO VIEW THE DAMAGE TO THE AREA, SOMETHING LYNCH CALLED THE WORST HE HAD SEEN IN THE STATE.

THE CHIEF HAS DEMONSTRATED SKILL IN COORDINATING FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE RED CROSS. AND HE’S BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING THE TOWN PLAN THE PROPOSED BUYOUT OF TRANSVALE ACRES PROPERTIES THAT ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FUTURE FLOODING.

HE HAS ALSO WORKED TO ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY SHELTER IN CONWAY AND HE CONDUCTS ROUTINE PLANNING AND COORDINATION EXERCISES TO PREPARE RESPONDERS FOR VARIOUS EMERGENCY SCENARIOS.

SOLOMON WAS ALSO SELECTED TO TRAVEL TO EL SALVADOR WITH MEMBERS OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE NATIONAL GUARD IN AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM WHERE HE SHARED HIS KNOWLEDGE OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES.